Official: Chelsea extend Maren Mjelde, Jess Carter contracts

Chelsea have already lost Ji So-yun, Drew Spence and Jonna Andersson to free agency, with their contracts officially expiring at the end of the month, but fortunately the same fate will not befall Jess Carter or Maren Mjelde, whose one-year extension options were activated today.

Carter, 24, was fundamental to our Women’s Super League and FA Cup title defences this season, with 19 starts in the league mostly as centre-back or right-back. The 2018 Women’s PFA Young Player of the Year, who joined the Blues that summer, was called up to the England national team recently as well.

Meanwhile, the veteran Mjelde did not get to feature as often this season as she was still recovering from an injury she picked up at the end of the last season, but she’s also been integral to the team’s successes since her arrival 2017, with 133 appearances in defence and midfield. The 32-year-old is also a staple of Norway’s national team, with more than 150 caps.

Extending Carter and Mjelde barely a day after Boehly’s takeover was officially completed does make one wonder whether we could have a few of the others as well if things had happened just a bit faster, or if they had waited just a bit longer, but what is done is done.

Congrats to Carter and Mjelde! Let’s keep on winning all the things!